Thoughts and writing on the world of golf and golf course architecture.

Thursday, February 17, 2005

The sky has fallen -- R&A to allow women in Open Championship

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According to the Scotsman, one of my favourite newspapers for golf, Peter Dawson at the R&A is talking about allowing women in the British Open. It is an amazing thing, coming from an organization that is male-only and that plays its most pretigious championship at men's only venues (Muirfield, Royal Troon, etc.).

That means the U.S. Open, the Masters and the British, could all have women qualify for their championships. I don't expect it to have any time soon, however. Regardless of what some TV pundits say about Michelle Wie, she's never going to play in a major championship. She'd have to win the U.S. Public Links to make it and she's lucky to get through the first round, let alone win it.

2 Comments:

Also the mid-amateur is another Wie "back-door." I have no problem, so long as the women play from the same tees as the men. The Suzy Whalen 10-15% off rule (she qualified for the GHO from the regulation tees, not the tips is nonsense no matter what sally jenkins and ann whatever from USA today think. You wanna play with the boys, you tee it up with the boys...other wise women can bat with the pros, so long as the mound is lower, etc. One change to Lacrosse also, why can't women have a pocket in their stick like the guys? That seems archaic and sexist...

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About Me

Robert Thompson writes a golf column for the National Post, Canada's daily national newspaper, and is a contributing editor to Travel and Leisure Golf. He has also written for Golf Magazine, PGATour.com, Ontario Golf, Score Golf and is a course rater for Golf Digest.
Going for the Green will comment on golf issues from course architecture to the PGA Tour, as well as providing regular course reviews.